London Bridge Station roof offered new home in Peterborough

The roof of London Bridge Station could swap the south bank of the Thames for the banks of the River Nene if an offer from the Railworld attraction in Peterborough is accepted.

The 'trainshed' roof above platforms 9 to 16 at London Bridge Station is due to be demolished when the station is rebuilt as part of the Thameslink Programme.

Now the chairman of a railway museum in Peterborough has offered a new home for the roof if and when it is dismantled.

"We feel that we could offer it at home ... we're not sure of the overall size but we think that we do have sufficient cleared land in Peterborough alongside the East Coast Main Line, a preserved railway terminus (the Nene Valley Railway) and a museum (Railworld) that would fit in well with most of the building ironwork and save it from destruction," says Brian Pearce, chair of the Railworld trustees, in a letter to design and conservation officers at Southwark Council.

"We could offer a possible location for the station 'overall trainshed' and maybe one or both sections of the flat roof area either side – but we have no money, only freehold land."

Mr Pearce added. "I would hate to see the station go the same way as Euston in the 60s."

Meanwhile a Conservative member of the European Parliament has written to Southwark Council suggesting that the London Bridge Station roof could be re-erected at the National Railway Museum in York.

Duncan Campbell Bannerman MEP, who represents the East of England in the European Parliament, has accused Network Rail of "wanton and badly conceived destruction" in its proposed demolition of the South Eastern Railway building in Tooley Street and the overall roof above the terminus platforms to the south of the station.

"In contrast to London Bridge, and an ideal model for what can be done, was English Heritage's decision to stop Network Rail demolishing the fourth arch at London Paddington – that too would have been an outrage," wrote Mr Campbell Bannerman in a letter to Southwark Council.

"The subsequent restoration has been superb with all credit to Network Rail. Surely this is the model to follow not another attempt at a 1960s Euston?

"Another far less attractive – but nevertheless viable – option would be to replace the National Railway Museum trainshed with the re-erected London Bridge trainshed at developer expense. There was huge controversy when the NRM replaced the original engine shed roofs with what resembles an inappropriate modern industrial warehouse and it lost much of its atmosphere as a result."

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition organised by the Bermondsey Village Action Group calling for a rethink of plans to demolish the South Eastern Railway offices on Tooley Street and the flank wall of the 'trainshed' on St Thomas Street.

BVAG supporters will be collecting more signatures on their petition outside the South Eastern Railway building on Wednesday 7 December between 5pm and 7pm

Southwark's planning committee is due to consider Network Rail's planning applications for the London Bridge Station redevelopment later this month.